Based in Austin, TX
Chelsea Venegas
Educational Advocate
Chelsea Venegas is a special education advocate serving families in Austin, TX.
- From $175 per hour
- Meets by video or phone
IEP advocates in Helotes, Texas
Northside ISD staff run the IEP meetings in Helotes. These advocates sit on your side of the table.
5 based in Texas · 3 virtual advocates who work with Texas schools
What an IEP advocate is
Advocates work for you, not for the school. That is the whole difference.
Families in Helotes and Alamo Heights run into the same problem. The school says the current plan is working, and the progress report shows the same goal repeated from last year with the same numbers under it.
Before and after a Helotes IEP meeting
The meeting itself is the smallest part of the job. Nearly all the hours go into records and email before the Helotes team ever sits down.
Request the full file in writing before you hire anyone. Schools have to give parents the education records they keep.
Advocates based in Texas
No advocate in this directory lists Helotes as their home base. These advocates work from other parts of Texas, and each card names the city.
Based in Austin, TX
David Gonzales
Special Education Advocate
Hi, My name is David Gonzales. Living in Austin, TX, but originally from Los Angeles, CA. I carry a masters degree in special education and currently practice as a sped teacher.
- From $50 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
Based in Midland, TX
Kate Keenan
Special Education Advocate
Kate Keenan is a special education advocate serving families in Midland, TX.
- From $75 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
Virtual advocates who work with Texas families
These advocates are not based in Texas. They join IEP meetings by video or phone, which IDEA allows when you and the school agree.
Virtual · based in Arlington Heights, IL · works with Texas schools
Angela Williams
Special Education Advocate
I am a former special education teacher, with experience in public and therapeutic day schools.
- Autism, Behavioral Support, Developmental Delay, Learning Disabilities
- Contact for rate
- Meets in person or by video
Virtual · based in Leonardtown, MD · works with Texas schools
Douglas Hubscher
Special Education Advocate
Douglas Hubscher is the Founder and President of Kids Are First, LLC, a special education advocacy firm dedicated to helping families navigate the IEP and 504 process with confidence, clarity, and…
- Anxiety, ADHD / Attention, Autism Spectrum, Behavioral & Emotional
- From $1 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
Virtual · based in San Diego, CA · works with Texas schools
Sanford Autism Advocacy Group
Special Education Advocate
At the Sanford Autism Advocacy Group (SAAG), we are a small but mighty special education consulting group with an emphasis on Autism and IEPs.
- Autism, Other Health Impairment, Speech/Language, IDEA
- From $200 per hour
- Meets in person or by video
The district behind a Helotes IEP
Northside ISD runs the IEP meetings for most Helotes students, and its special education staff will be on the other side of the table when you walk in.
Families who move between Alamo Heights and here change districts, and the new team is not required to keep the old plan word for word.
- District Northside ISD
- County Bexar County
- Public schools inside Helotes 5
- Size Helotes is the 245th-largest city in Texas by the 2024 Census estimate
- Closest listed advocate Katy, TX
Confirm your child's district by address before you send a letter or name a district-specific process.
What the clock is here
The deadline for finishing an initial evaluation in Texas is 45 school days. Put that date on your calendar the day the paperwork goes in.
If the Helotes team says no, ask for the refusal in writing.
Texas gives a school district 45 school days to finish an initial special education evaluation. A written request for an evaluation has to be answered inside 15 school days. Missed deadlines are handled by the Texas Education Agency, Office of Special Populations and Student Supports, which takes written state complaints from parents.
No license, no required certification
Training varies, and so does what it proves. A parent who asks how many Helotes IEP meetings an advocate sat in last year learns more than a certificate would show.
Membership in a professional body is not a licence. It usually means dues were paid and a code of conduct was signed.
Where advocacy stops
No advocate can promise a placement or an outcome in Helotes. Anyone who does is selling you something.
You sign, not the advocate. Consent and the plan itself both need a parent signature.
Who serves Helotes today
No advocate is listed in every city. A remote advocate who knows Texas rules is usually a better hire for Helotes than a local one who does not.
Ask whether the advocate has sat in a Northside ISD meeting before. The answer is a yes or a no and it tells you a great deal.
Helotes IEP and Section 504 advocate FAQ
Answers about hiring a special education advocate in Helotes, Texas, including cost, timing, virtual support, and Section 504 help.
How much should I budget for one IEP meeting?
Most advocates on this directory charge $75 to $150 per hour. A standard cycle with two hours of prep and two hours in the meeting runs about $400. Travel and extra meetings cost more.
Can an advocate represent me at a due process hearing in Texas?
No. Advocates prepare for meetings, read the records and negotiate with the district. Attorneys file due process complaints and appear at hearings, which an advocate cannot do.
What district will be at my IEP meeting in Helotes?
Most of the city sits inside Northside ISD. The district writes the plan and holds the special education budget, which is why a complaint about a missed service names the district and not the school.
How many advocates on this page are based in Texas?
Every card on this page names the city the advocate works from. Advocates listed under the virtual heading live somewhere else and work with families here by video or phone.
How do I file a state special education complaint in Texas?
The Texas Education Agency takes written complaints from parents about missed deadlines and services never delivered. An advocate can prepare one. The advocate does not decide it and cannot make the district settle.
Official special education resources in Texas
Official Texas links for parents in Helotes.
Sources for the Texas rules on this page
- 19 TAC Chapter 89, Subchapter AA, currently in effect (TEA) (19 TAC 89.1011(d)(1))
- TEA, Full and Individual Initial Evaluation timeline (19 TAC 89.1011(d)(1) and Tex. Educ. Code 29.004(a)(1))
- TEA special education complaints process
- TEA special education
Last reviewed 2026-08-11.
Nearby cities in Texas
The same Texas rules apply in Alamo Heights, Leon Valley, Richmond, Sealy and the other cities listed here, or see every Texas advocate.
Before you contact anyone
If nobody here fits, check the Alamo Heights page next. The same Texas rules apply there.
Have the most recent Northside ISD progress report open on the first call. It shows whether the goals moved at all.
